Lock.



No. 728,134.. PATBNTBD MAY 12. 190s 0.1110111111.

1 Loox.

.122111011121011 FILED 0012.2. 1901.

No MODEL.'

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No.V 728,134.

NITED STATES Patented May 12, 1903.

FFICE.

CHRISTOPHER J. ROACH, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,134, dated May 12, 1903.

v Application iiled October 2. 1901. Serial No. 77,323. (No model.)

To al?, whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER J. ROAOH, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain newA and useful Improvements in Rotation- Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improved means for automatically controlling the operation of a series of locks electrically connected.

Primarily the invention has for its object to provide means whereby the opening of several mail-boxes embraced in a circuit is dependent upon the proper successive operation of each. V

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent two locks of a series with their cover-plates removed.

Referring to the drawings, l and 2 designate two locks of a series. Each lock is the duplicate of the other; but the controlling mechanism of all thelooks-that is, the means which allows them to be opened or operatedis dierently set and relatively arranged so that all the locks in a series must be successively actuated-that is, in a step-by-step order. The description therefore of one lock will apply to all.

In each lock is a magnet 3,the armature t of which is connected by a link 4a to a lever Lib, f ulcrumed at 5. This lever carries a pawl 6, which engages a ratchet-wheel 7, mounted on arbor 8. Fast to or integral with wheel 7 is a tumbler 9 in the form of a circular disk, in the periphery of which is a notch 10. When the tumbler is positioned with this notch in line with a leverll, fulcrumed at 12 on the locking-bolt13, the latter may be withdrawn, the end of the lever entering the notch. When, however, the lever is in engagement with any other portion of the periphery of the disk, the bolt may not, ordinarily, be actuated. A trip-lip 14, projecting from tumbler 9, will, in the revolution of the tumbler as the notch is brought into line with the lever, engage the adjacent end of a contactlever 15, fulcrumed at 16, and thereby break the circuit in'which thelever is included, such lever normally being in engagement with the contact-point 17.

The ratchet-wheel ofthe controlling mech-V anism of each lock is equipped with as many teeth as there are boxes or locks in the series.

When the letter-carrier upon starting on his rounds closes the circuit at 'the central office,` all of the locks within his district and in'- cluded within a single` series will be under the control of that circuit. The closing of the circuit will excite the magnets in all the boxes, attracting thereto their respective armatures, and, through the medium of pawls 6, the ratchet-wheels will be moved or turned the extentof one tooth. This will bring the notch 10 of the 'controlling mechanism of the lock which is tobe first actuated in line with -the end of lever 11, and at the same time the trip-lip 14 of such mechanism of the first lock will engage'lever l5, so as tov move its arm 15a ont of engagement with the contact-point 17, thus breakingthe circuit throughout the entire system'. .5

The relative arrangement of the control ling mechanism of the several locks is such that'the trip-lip of the first lock before the circuit is closed for the first time is in close relation to lever 15, while the trip-lip of the second ,lock of the series will stand away from such lever twice the distance, or the extent of two teeth of the ratchet-wheel, while the trip-lip of the third lock will be removed from the lever the distance of three teeth, and so on throughout all the locks of the series. By this arrangement when the trip-lip of the iirst lock engages its lever the trip-lips of all the remaining locks will be brought nearer to their respective levers to the extent of one tooth of the ratchet-wheel. This is also true as to the notches of the several -tumblers in. relation to the levers 11.

Upon the insertion of a key in Vthe hole 18 of the first lock of the series bolt 13 thereof may be Withdrawn or turned back by reason of the fact that upon the closing of the-circuit the notch 10 of the controlling mechanism was brought in line with the bolt-lever 11. Upon Withdrawal of bolt 13 a pin 19 thereof will engage a spring-finger 20, leading from the contact-point 17, and force the same into engagement with an auxiliary contactpoint 21, thereby reestablishing or again closing the circuit previously broken by the disengagement of lever 15 from contact-point 17. By thus restablishing the circuit the ratchetwheels of the controlling mechanism of the several locks will be again rotated the extent of one tooth, thereby positioning the notch 10 of the second lock ot the series in line with the bolt-lever and at the same time breaking the circuit through the contact-lever 15 of such second lock. Hence when the carrier inserts his key in this latter lock and withdraws the bolt thereof the circuit will be again restablished through the intermediary of the spring-finger 20, and thereby set the controlling mechanism of the third box to permit ot' the opening thereof. This operation will continue until the lock of the last box of the series is operated, when, it necessary, the operation may be repeated in the described order. It will be seen that all the boxes in the series or system must be opened successively, beginning with the first and ending with the last, or otherwise the first box cannot be again opened, nor can any succeeding box be opened until the mechanisms 1 of the preceding boxes have been operated.

The bolt-lever 1l has a curved arm 11a eX- tended beyond one of its edges, so as to be engaged only by a master-key, to the end thatthe latter will engage such arm and disengage the other arm of the lever from the tumbler-disk to allow the bolt to be withdrawn or thrown back irrespective of its operation in sequence.

Although I have described my invention as being specially applicable to mail-boxes, it will be understood, of course, that it is not restricted in its application.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a series of locks having controlling mechanisms, the controlling mechanism of each lock being arranged relatively to the controlling mechanisms of the other locks so that each lock may be opened only in its successive order, and electricallycontrolled means in the several locks for simultaneously actuating the controlling mechanisms of all the locks upon the manual operation ofeach lock, such means of all the locks being within a single circuit, as set forth.

2. The combination of a series of locks having controlling mechanisms, the controlling mechanism of each lock being arranged relatively to the controlling mechanisms of the other locks so that each lock may be opened only in its successive order, a single electric circuit in which the several locks are included, means for simultaneously actuating all the controlling mechanisms upon the closing of such circuit, means for automatically breaking such circuit as the controlling mechanism of any one lock of the series is .positioned to permit of the operation thereof, and means for restablishing such circuit when such lock is manually operated, as set forth.

3. The combination of a series of locks having controlling mechanisms, the controlling mechanism of each lock being arranged relatively to the controlling mechanisms oi the other locks so that each lock may be opened only in its successive order, a single electric circuit in which the several locks are included, means for simultaneously actuating all the controlling mechanisms upon t-he closing of such circuit, a circuit-closer in each lock moved to break the circuit by its respective controlling mechanism as the same is brought into position to permit of the manual operation of the lock, and an auxiliary circuitcloser for restablishing such circuit when the lock is manually operated, as set forth.

4. In combination, a series of locks electrically connected together, each lock comprising a magnet, a pawl designed to be actuated by the movements of the armature of such magnet, a ratchet-wheel with which such pawl engages, controlling mechanism for the bolt actuated by such ratchet-wheel, a circuitcloser designed to be actuated to break the circuit as such controlling mechanism is positioned to allow of the operation of the bolt, and means actuated by such bolt for reestablishing the circuit when so broken,as set forth.

5. In combination, a series of locks electrically connected together, each lock comprising a magnet, a pawl designed to be actuated by the movements of the armature of such magnet, a ratchet-wheel with which such pawl engages, controlling mechanism for the bolt actuated by such ratchet-wheel, a circuitcloser designed to be actuated to break the circuit as such controlling mechanism is positioned to allow of the operation of the bolt, and an auxiliary circuit-closer actuated by such bolt to close the circuit when so broken through the rst circuit-closer, as set forth.

6. In combination, a series of locks electrically connected together, each lock comprising a bolt, a magnet, a pawl designed to be actuated by the movements of the armature of such magnet, a ratchet-Wheel with which such pawl engages, a tumbler carried by such ratchet-wheel, a 1n ake-and-break contact-lever designed to be actuated to break the circuit as such tumbler is positioned to allow of the operation of the bolt, a lever carried by the bolt in engagement with the tumbler,'and an auxiliary circuit-closer designed to be actuated by the bolt in the withdrawal thereof, as set forth.

7. In combination, a series of locks electrically connected together, each lock comprising a bolt, a magnet, a pawl designed to be actuated by the movements of the armature of such magnet, a ratchet-wheel with which such pawl engages, a tumbler carried by such ratchet-Wheel and having a notch in its periphery and also having a trip-lip, a make-and-break contact-lever designed to be actuated by said trip-lip to break the circuit as the tumbler is positioned to allow of the operation of the bolt, a lever on the bolt de- IOO signed to enter said notch when the latter is in line therewith, and an auxiliary circuitcloser actuated by the bolt in the Withdrawal thereof, as set forth.

8. In combination, in a lock of the character described, a bolt, a magnet, a pawl, a le-V ver carrying such pawl adapted to be operated through the medium of the magnet, lockcontrolling mechanism having a ratchet- Wheel engaged by suchV pawl, a make-andbreak contact-lever, means actuated by the` movement of said wheel for engaging such lever to break the circuit, and means actuated by the bolt for closing the circuit when the latter is broken through the contact-lever, as set forth.

9. In combination, in a lock of the character described, the bolt, the lever fulcrumed thereon, a rotatable disk .having a notch adapted to receive one end of said lever when in line therewith, a magnet, means actuated thereby for rotating said disk,'a make-andbreak contact-lever, means carried by the disk for engaging said lever to break the circuit, and an auxiliary circuit-closer actuated Aby the bolt upon the withdrawal thereof, as

set forth. Y

Signed by meat Hartford, Connecticut, this 28th day of September, 1901.

e CHRISTOPHER J. HROACH.`

Witnesses: v

GEORGE M. SMITH, J oHN A. CARROLL. 

